This bright and booming talent is a perfect example of how NOT winning the title of "American Idol: The

Search for a Superstar" (2002) can actually be a boost to your career and not necessarily the end of a childhood dream. Jennifer Hudson is an American actress and singer. Jennifer Hudson made the world forget that Simon Coswell told her she resembled "something you should wrap a turkey in." Not only did the American idol reject upstage an Oscar winner and pop star, she also won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. The Chicago native beat 781 hopefuls for her role in Dreamgirls, which led to a Vogue cover and starring role in 2008's Sex and the City movie. Jennifer Kate Hudson was born on September 12, 1981, in Chicago, Illinois. Hudson was blessed with an astounding vocal range of six octaves and a perfect musical ear as a young girl. She rigorously trained by singing in the gospel choirs at the age of seven. In 2002, 21-year-old Hudson landed a job as featured vocalist on the Disney Wonder cruise ship. She considers her six months on the cruise her test for American Idol. She said and I quote, If I can get through the ship, that means I'm cut out for Idol, Minneapolis Star Tribune. In 2004, she auditioned for FOX's American Idol, where she gained exposure and a fan base. At the audition she appeared confident, Judge Randy Jackson calls her performance brilliant. Unfortunately, Hudson was eliminated even though she was widely considered to be the show's most powerful vocalists. Whatever it is, it was meant to be, Hudson says. If it was based on talent, I know I was robbed. In 2006, she was chosen to play a Motown singer in the film Dreamgirls (2006). Hudson no longer had to play second fiddle to anyone as she got a sweet revenge to play the role of Effie White in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. This is one of the most triumphant musical film debuts since Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl (1968). Bill Condon tells Vogue that he has never worked with anyone in his entire career with as much raw talent and openness as Jennifer. He continued by saying "She came to the project with such confidence." Her scene-stealing performance earned the young singer several accolades including a Golden Globe, an Oscar, and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Hudson's star-making debut is compared to legends Barbra Streisand and Bette Midler. New York Times critic A.O. Scott says, When was the last time you saw a first-time film actress upstage an Oscar winner, a pop diva and a movie star of long standing? Ms. Hudson is not going anywhere. She has arrived . . . to see Ms. Hudson tear into it on screen . . . brings the goosebumped thrill of witnessing something new, even historic. Not sure if I should include this paragraph. Hudson is the third African-American celebrity to appear on the cover of Vogue. Editor-at-Large Andre Leon Talley, who advocated for the unconventional cover girl, says, "When she sings, people of all ages and all races and all persuasions respond to her in an emotional way. They find in her

voice, hope . . .to embrace Jennifer's success and give her a cover that is absolutely historical and unique in the 115-year history of Vogue Magazine." Later that month, Hudson is paid a reported $3 million to be the face of Avon's Imari fragrance. She won a Grammy in 2008 for her debut, self-titled album. She tells PEOPLE magazine, the day it came out she woke up crying, she was so emotional. Her disc, powered by her relationship track, Spotlight, helps it reach No. 2 on the charts, selling 217,000 copies in its first week. Jennifer Hudson appears on the cover of EW, crediting God, her smiling fans and career for helping her cope with the tragic murders of her family. This is what I love to do, she says. To see that love from fans [is] one of the most beautiful things. inspired to lose weight for her title role in the Winnie Mandela biopic, Hudson transforms her shape from a size 16 to a size 6. She is the celebrity spokeswoman for Weight Watchers. Based on her achievements she is my favorite artist because she is a source of perpetual inspiration to millions of young hopefuls. She has proved with glorious bravado that the most gifted and determined young talents can bounce back from a painful and public rejection and land squarely at the pinnacle of success, transcending even what they might have accomplished had the initial rejection never occurred.